FO Fri......wait, no.......yes..yes........YES!

It's done done done done done done DONE DONE DONE DONE!!!!!!

I have finished Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket! Do you want proof of this?

Hanging out on the chair...

See? There's proof.

Wait, you think I'm hiding my needles behind that chair? You want MORE proof?!

I don't see any needles....

Close up of the cast on edge...I think...

The long, narrow view...

So, on to the specifics for this lovely FO Friday :)

Pattern: Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket (not yet written properly or available - will be seeking test knitters within the next few weeks - check back for more information if you're interested)
Needles: US #6 circulars...I measured them and they turned out to be 40" circulars (if you measure from tip to tip)
Yarn: Knitting Worsted by Brown Sheep Company (discontinued) in a seafoam green color
Size: It's technically a baby blanket...but I guess it could be used as a lapghan.
Modifications: It's my pattern...what modifications could there possibly be?

I finished this very late last night so it's not blocked or washed or had it's ends woven in yet. I'll get to that sometime this weekend, I expect...that is, if Little Man doesn't hold it hostage immediately (and he might).

This blanket has been haunting me since I started it in June 2010. I was approximately five months pregnant at the time and I thought, "oh, no big deal; I can whip up a blanket in no time."

Oops. Yeah, let's not talk about that silly thought.....

Husband made the suggestion that I not give it to Little Man for awhile so he doesn't ruin it. It's 100% wool and will felt (he's been instructed not to wash it or anything of that nature under threat of pain). I may only use it for snuggles or in his crib for awhile until he's old enough to understand that this blanket is special. We'll see.

Anyway, here's a lovely picture of Little Man. He discovered he could put a box on his head.

For more FO Fridays, visit Tami's blog...

WIP Wednesday

It's that time again: WIP Wednesday :)

In my little neck of the world (i.e., southern Wisconsin in the United States), spring has decided it wants to come a little early. It's been in the mid-40s to low 50s and the snow has (mostly) melted, leaving quite a mess outside. Unfortunately, that has made for a messy and muddy puppy. He's been confined to the kitchen more than he likes...and more than we like. But, we don't like muddy furniture and carpets so it's going to have to wait until it dries out or refreezes.

But, that's not what's important on a WIP Wednesday...a WIP Wednesday is supposed to be all about WIPs!

I'm only going to talk about one WIP......Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket! I spent some time working on it last night (while watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and I got about halfway finished with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2). I made it to the border rows! I thought I'd never get this far. I have 18 border rows left and I can bind off and be done done DONE! Well......sort of. Then I have to wash it, block it, photograph it, give it to Little Man, write the pattern up nicely, send it off to test knitters, and hope and pray that it comes out as lovely for everyone else as it did for me. I'm hoping that if I finish the movie tonight and work on it after everyone else has gone to bed, I can have it finished before FO Friday.

We'll see.

And no, you're not getting a new photograph of it because it would be almost done and what's the point of showing you something that's almost done?

So, with that, I end WIP Wednesday. For more WIP Wednesday love, go visit Tami's blog.

Wow, that Jelly Bean Parrot is HUGE!

The title of this entry has nothing to do with my topic...except that I was looking (okay, I was staring) at the freshwater fish tank in the living room when I was writing this (which, admittedly, is 10:20pm on Tuesday night). We have a orange-yellow Jelly Bean Parrot Fish and he's HUGE! Seriously, he's a big fish.

But that's not what this post is about.

It's about WIP Wednesday :)

The end is in sight for Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket. I worked on it Tuesday afternoon and I've decided that nine full repeats of the pattern plus the extra rows and the border rows will make it plenty big for Little Man. So....I'm working on the "extra rows" right now...if I added correctly, I have 34 rows left before I can bind off, wash, block, and present said blanket to the aforementioned Little Man. The end is nigh! But, seriously, it'll probably take me a few more days, if not longer, to finish the knitting part, at least. I wouldn't expect a FO Friday post about it this week. Maybe...no, don't expect it. I can't handle that pressure.

I'm currently on the fifteenth repeat (out of twenty-five) on the second of my Skyp Socks. I might get to the heel flap soon...but it probably won't be finished for another couple of weeks. It depends on how often I work on it. It's going well, though :)

Other than that, my WIP list is pretty much the same. I'm still working on my Vanilla Socks and my Lothlorien Hat (the pattern hasn't been released yet).

Oh, and I was naughty and ordered more yarn...sock yarn, specifically. One of the blogs I read informed all of us readers about a sale that her shop is having...and I went and pre-ordered the eight skein set. I think I'm going to Hell. Just sayin'...I had a brief Doctor Who moment with this yarn (specifically the yarns attached to Sunflowers and Starry Night - two of my favorites) but that's not why I ordered it. Opal Sock Yarn is a lovely self-striping yarn and one can never have enough :) Or maybe we can...sock yarn doesn't count as stash.

In the "normal" events of my life, my back has been killing me. Husband thinks it's due to the hide-a-bed we slept in at his brother's place and it's just now catching up with me. I think it's a combination of that, going to the chiropractor, improper lifting of Little Man, and general laziness. I've always had issues with my back but it's gotten to the point where I could hardly walk, sit, stand, lay, bend, or otherwise move or remain stationary. I finally broke down and went to the doctor on Monday. I had some leftover narcotics from my c-section and normally, those just make me sleepy...but I wasn't sleepy and the pain became a little more tolerable. You can imagine how much pain I've been in. The doctor thinks it's probably muscular and gave me more narcotics and a muscle relaxer. We'll see...

Anyway, for more WIP Wednesday love, go visit Tami's blog :)

And now, a gratuitous picture of Little Man...

Mama, the hat Nana Laurel made is too small....

WIP Wednesday: Brief #180

Yes, kids, it's Wednesday again...that day when I'm supposed to drag out my WIPs and tell you what I've been doing.

However......as I've only been working on four projects lately, one of which is finished, I'm going to spare you the entire WIP list.

First up, we have Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket.

Close up of the pattern...sort of.

For size comparison (please note the Macbook Pro in the background)

The above photographs were from...well, it was sometime right after Little Man's birthday so maybe two months ago or thereabouts. The blanket really hasn't changed a lot since then. I'm probably another full repeat and a half past that point (if not further - and I think it's further, to be honest). It doesn't look that different...just longer. I haven't bothered to photograph it more recently because, honestly, why?

Pattern: Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket (which isn't written yet)
Yarn: Knitting Worsted by Brown Sheep in a seafoam green color
Needles: US #6 24" circulars....or maybe they're 32" ones. I can't remember.
Size: Um......baby? Eventually, it'll be able to be adapted to any size. But, for my purposes, it's baby-sized.
Modifications: Um.......none. Yeah, that sounds right...

Secondly, I have my Simple Skyp Socks. I have the first sock finished but this is what the second one looks like...

Maybe four repeats in a twenty-five repeat pattern...

The above photograph was taken yesterday. I'm trying to do at least a couple rounds every day but sometimes, that just doesn't happen. I'm okay with that, though...I'm working on them and that's all that is important :)

Pattern: Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku
Yarn: Socks that Rock - Medium by Blue Moon Fiber Arts in Chickabiddy
Needles: US #1 Blackthorn DPNs....I'm 95% sure they're #1s
Size: One size, I believe...adjusted for foot length, obviously.
Modifications: I added another repeat of the pattern in the cuff on the first sock...so I probably should for the second one, right?

Thirdly, I'm working on my Vanilla Socks. I debated whether or not I was going to make another pair of Skyp Socks or if I wanted to make something plain and I decided that I'd go with something plain, for now (though I do fully intend to make another pair of Skyp Socks in the future).

Pattern: None...but I'm using a basic idea in my head for how many stitches I CO and we'll see what happens when I get down toward the heel. I might decide to do something like an afterthought heel or something different. We'll see...
Yarn: Sock Yarn by htNEVELE Designs in the Parrotfish colorway
Needles: US #1 Signature Needles
Size: Whatever size fits me.
Modifications: None....it's my pattern so there really can't be any, right?

Fourthly..........wait, there is no fourthly. I know, I said I've been working on four projects in the last few days. Well, I finished one so you're going to have to wait until Friday to see it :)

Hooooooray!

For more WIP Wednesday posts, visit Tami's Blog.

In other things going on in my world...Little Man has decided that it's high time he learns to climb. He's kind of been trying to climb into the pack-n-play for a few weeks but today, he got about halfway up before I caught him and told him to get down. I don't mind that he wants to climb things...but I want him to be safe about it. That's probably why we kind of freaked out on Sunday morning when I was getting the rest of breakfast out and Husband was sitting at the table, only to look up and catch Little Man standing in the seat of his high chair. He was buckled in, too...that's the worst part. He had twisted himself sideways, and slid his legs out...little turd. We bought a new high chair that has a five-point harness (shoulder straps and leg straps that connect in the middle, much like a car seat). He's not happy that he can't twist around but he also can't get up and stand in his high chair, either. I'm okay with that.

He also likes to stand on his sit-n-spin...and his new scooter toy thingie.

*sigh*

See this? It's my not-quite-a-trike trike. It makes noise when I bounce on it.

'Twas the night before X-mas Eve....

'Twas the night before X-mas Eve
And all through my house
Every creature was stirring,
Especially the Dog

The stockings were hung, wait what stockings?
We have no stockings here...

Anyway, enough of that. It's the day before Christmas Eve and it's supposed to be FO Friday and I'm supposed to be showing you Little Man's blanket.

Tough.

It's not done.

I know, I know...I had these grand plans to knit at least five rows every day and I'd be finished by today. I worked on it, I really did! I just didn't do the required five rows every day...and now I'm still about a full repeat (24 rows), plus the extra rows (14 or 16 or something like that), plus the border rows (20 rows, I think). It just didn't happen. I got the hats finished and then I became enamored with Ancestry and doing that and I kind of forgot that I could knit.

Oops.

So, the blanket isn't finished. It'll get finished...hopefully soon. We'll see.

Sorry.

WIP Wednesday

It's Wednesday and that means that it's time for another installment of WIP Wednesday. Last week, we briefly touched on the fact that my collection of WIPs hadn't changed, except, perhaps, in length.

Little Man's blanket still isn't finished. I did the math on it and I figure I have somewhere between 80-85 rows left before it's finished. That translates to maybe 10-15 hours worth of work, not including washing and blocking...I'm a slow knitter, sue me. Maybe not that long. I don't know...

My Icarus Shawl hasn't been touched. It used to sit on a side table in my living room. When we did some cleaning when Little Man became mobile, it was shoved into a bag and kind of disappeared for awhile. I found it on Monday afternoon. That doesn't mean I pulled it out...but I'm aware of where it's hiding.

Little Man's Giraffe is still in hiding. I know where it is but I haven't bothered to pull it out. I think it's going to hibernate in the closet for a couple of months...or weeks...whatever. I know where it is and that's important.

I started the second sock of my Skyp Socks...I'm only on the twelfth row so there's nothing interesting to photograph. Sorry.

The Traveling Vines Socks are still somewhere in the house...haven't found them. I'm pretty sure they're in a project bag of some sort which gives me a general idea but I haven't dug them out.

Also........the startitis got to me. I started another sock yesterday. It's not based on a pattern of any sort...I just know how many I need to cast on and I went from there. Oops.

But, I did finish some things.......you're going to have to wait until Friday to see those, though :)

For more WIP Wednesdays, visit Tami's blog.

I must apologize for being boring and without photos...my iPhoto hasn't been uploading properly so I can't even show you new photos of Little Man. *sigh*

WIP Wednesday.....again :)

I have a feeling that this is going to be a picture-free post, except maybe a gratuitous photo of Little Man.

But, it's Wednesday and that means it's WIP Wednesday yet again. Here's what I've got on needles...

1. Sadly, not much has changed, except the size of Little Man's blanket. I'm still working on it and I might even have it done by Christmas but, it really doesn't look any different than it did last week.

Pattern: Eventually, it'll be called "Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket" but, for right now, it doesn't have an actual title because there's no actual pattern (yet).
Yarn: Knitting Worsted from Brown Sheep in a seafoam green color...though I don't know the official colorway name. Knitting Worsted is the precursor to Lamb's Pride and is, essentially, the same...except it doesn't have the mohair.
Needles: US #6 Addi Turbos....either 24" or 32" circulars (I suspect I'm using 32" but I haven't bothered to actually check)
Size: Baby but when I write the pattern, I'll include instructions about how to make it wider & longer (not that it'd be difficult to figure out)
Modifications: Um...none? It's my pattern :)

2. I've also got my Basic Socks on needles. Again, I haven't touched them...but, here's the specifics on those.

Pattern: Universal Top-Down Socks from Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book
Yarn: Sami Merino by Creatively Dyed Yarns in "Dark" (which, just for reference, is neon green)
Needles: US #2 Blackthorn DPNs...I think.
Size: One-size, I believe...though if/when I make these again, I'll probably go down a needle size.
Modifications: None that I know of

3. I don't know if I can call this an actual WIP because, really, it's hibernating...it's in a bag somewhere and who knows when I'll get around to it but, I guess I can count it: my Icarus Shawl.

Pattern: Icarus Shawl by Miriam Felton
Yarn: Wistful by Briar Rose
Needles: US #6 Addi Turbos....I think they're 32" circulars (I'm more sure of that than I am for the blanket)
Size: One-size, I believe...
Modifications: I'm using a worsted weight and larger needles than the pattern calls for and I expect that once it's finished, I'll have a much larger shawl.

4. Another project that's kind of hibernating...and I'm so close to being finished: Little Man's Giraffe. I'm so close to finishing this...I have to attach the ears, make the spots, make the horns and tail, and do the hair...that's it. The body has the head and legs attached so it's just the little things now.

Pattern: Giraffe by Susan B. Anderson in Itty-Bitty Toys
Yarn: 220 Superwash by Cascade in "Citron" and "Christmas Green" (yes, I'm making a green giraffe for Little Man. Don't judge me!)
Needles: US #6 DPNs...I think. I'm pretty sure...
Size: Whatever size it comes out...it's a toy :)
Modifications: Aside from going up a needle size to get gauge (which is rare) and not using polypellets for some of the stuffing, none.

5. I've got another Madison hat on needles...I might finish it soon. We'll see...

Pattern: Madison by Becca Sheffler
Yarn: Creative Focus Superwash by Nashua Handknits in "Sky Blue"
Needles: US #8 DPNs
Size: Child, actually...again...
Modifications: I'm making a child-sized one for an adult so I'm making it longer than the pattern calls for for the child size.

6. I've still only got one of my Skyp Socks finished...someday, I'll do the second one. I don't normally have SSS (Second Sock Syndrome) so this is kind of a shock to me. I think it's because I've been focusing on Little Man's blanket.

Pattern: Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku
Yarn: Socks That Rock - Medium by Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the "Chickabiddy" colorway...which is a lot of reds, yellows, and oranges (i.e., not colors you'd normally see me actively wanting to wear)
Needles: US #1 Blackthorn DPNs...I think...I'm pretty sure...
Size: One-size, I believe...
Modifications: None that I can think of...I might have added two rows to the cuff or a pattern repeat to make 50 rows instead of 48...I can't remember. I'll have to look at the first one to be sure

7. I've definitely let this hibernate...and I'll finish it someday, just so I can write the pattern properly: Traveling Vine Socks

Pattern: None, yet...once I've finished the sock, I'll write the pattern properly...maybe.
Yarn: Trekking (XXL) by Zitron in "Blue Bri" colorway...which is leftover from my very first socks.
Needles: US #1 DPNs...I think. I don't remember. I'll have to dig them out and look.
Size: Baby but I have intentions to make child and adult sizes, too.
Modifications: None because there's no official pattern.

So, there you have it for WIP Wednesday. For more WIP Wednesday Madness (and FO Friday Goodness) visit Tami's Amis and Other Creations :)

Oh, and because there are no pictures in this post, I thought I'd share some of Little Man :)

In my Hallowe'en jammies....

My first trip to the play area in the mall :)

The box is my toy, right? Even though the car is cool...it's all about the box!

WIP Wednesday......and there's photos!

So, it's WIP Wednesday...and I have things to actually show you :)

Several moons ago, I showed you this:

Somewhere in the middle of the second repeat of the pattern...maybe...

As of the end of Knitters' Guild on Monday night, it looks like this:

Somewhere in the middle of the 8th repeat of the pattern...

I'm not sure if I'm going to do 9 full repeats plus the extra rows or 10 full repeats plus the extra rows.  You can see my laptop in the background...I was starting this post, actually, when I realized I didn't have any photos so I had to take some :)

With my iPhone case sitting on it for an idea of the size.

Further away, but the color isn't as good.

So, what is this again? It's my Cobblestone Baby Blanket. The yarn is Lamb's Pride by Brown Sheep Yarn Company. When I finish it, I'm going to write up the pattern and send it out to the test knitters. I'll probably be looking to have it tested in finger weight, worsted weight, and bulky weight, with maybe a tester doing sport weight or aran weight (but aran and worsted are so close and sport and fingering are so close that I might skip it). I'm also thinking that I'm going to have at least three testers per weight with at least one doing the pattern as written and at least one doing the pattern with adjustments (to make it bigger/smaller). So, if you're interested in testing this later (like after the holiday season), send me an e-mail or reply to this post with a way to contact you. But, that's how it's going. I think I'll be able to have it finished by Christmas for Little Man.

Oh, but there's another WIP for me to share. Because I don't have enough going on with the aforementioned blanket, I decided that I'm going to knit a hat for my brother-in-law, his wife, and their daughter, mentioned briefly as Sweet Girl. I started Sweet Girl's on Monday night at Knitters' Guild (because I didn't have another skein to work on the blanket and I did have this yarn in my bag).

I'm using Creative Focus Superwash by Nashua for all three hats. Sweet Girl's is going to be the light blue, mom's is going to be a dark blue, and my BIL's is going to be both...stripes :)

Right now, the plan is to make the Madison hat for both Sweet Girl and her mommy and just a plain beanie for my BIL but it kind of depends on how the Madison turns out. If it doesn't look too "girly," I'll make it for my BIL, too. He's an ex-army ranger so I don't want to make him feel too much like a sissy in a handknit hat. 

In other WIP Wednesday news, my Basic Socks have not been touched, Little Man's giraffe has not been touched, my Skyp Socks haven't been touched, and my Traveling Vines (the baby socks) haven't been touched.

Oops.

Here are some cute pictures of Little Man to make up for it :)

Turtle....NOM NOM!

Mama! I fell in my toy box! Get me out!

Cheese!

Wearin' mom's hat. I'm stylin'...

That's all I have for WIP Wednesday.....for more WIP Wednesday posts, visit Tami's Amis and Other Creations.

One year ago today....and today....and WIP Wednesday.....

One year ago today...

One year ago today, I gained someone and I lost someone.

I gained Little Man. He was extracted from my womb, kicking and screaming at approximately 8:10am CDT at Mercy Hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin. The second they placed him near me and I said, "What's all that screamin' about," he immediately stopped. He recognized mommy's voice from the start.

He went from this photograph (which was taken when he was approximately two weeks old)....

to this one, which was taken on Sunday at his first birthday party (please notice the frosting all around his face, hands, and clothing, as well as cake).









He has grown so much. When he was born, he was 7lbs, 3oz and 22" long. As of his doctor appointment last Wednesday with the cardiologist, he was 21lbs, 12oz and just a smidge under 30" long. And let's not forget that in the last year, he has mastered a lot of things including smiling, laughing, rolling over (and off the bed), sitting, crawling, standing, clapping, eating solid foods, picking things up with his pincer grasp, and most recently, toddling around the living room between objects...as well as a bunch of other things.

Sadly, today also marks the day that I lost someone important in my life. Just a mere hour and a half before Little Man was born, my maternal grandmother passed away. She had just turned 84 last September.

This photo was taken probably in early 1981...possibly around Easter (I didn't wear dresses often and I appear to be wearing a fancy dress, not the one I wore at my first Christmas...and I'd also had a haircut by this point). My grandmother, who is holding me, would have been 54 at the time...if it was, indeed, Easter of 1981 (please notice how much Little Man looks like me!).

This photo, on the other hand, was taken the day of my wedding on August 29, 2009 at the nursing home. It's among the last known photographs of her and a very good one. By this point, Alzheimer's had set in to the point that she had no idea who I was (or any of the rest of the family that came to visit that day). But, I had flowers, pretty hair, a pretty dress, and I was talking to her. She didn't seem to mind one little bit.


So, that was on this day last year. Happy first birthday to Little Man.

Today...
Today is another whole story. It's raining outside and will probably be turning to snow sometime within the next couple of hours. We're only supposed to get 2"-4" but that's enough when you're not quite prepared for it. Then again, it's also supposed to melt within the next couple of days. This is the time of year I hate...the cusp between fall and winter. You still have leaves falling off trees, and cool, crisp mornings...but then you have this crap where it rains, freezes, turns to snow, melts, re-freezes, melts, snows, rains, etc. I've never been a fan of this part of the year, only because it prevents travel to places because of the weather. I mean, all winter can do that but the ice is what kills travel for me. Oh well.

Today's plan is to clean off the counters in the kitchen. It's not something I necessarily want to do...but I has to be done before tomorrow. Tomorrow, we've got several people coming to the house to do measurements. We have people coming to measure for our new counters, hence why the counters need to be cleaned off. We have people coming to measure for our new tile in the back entry. This means that Puppy is going to be locked up for awhile tomorrow because of all the people that will be here. He's going to be mad but he's going to have to get over it.

Other than cleaning the counters off, I plan to knit, finish doing my laundry, perhaps look into doing Husband's laundry, and let Little Man have more birthday cake.

WIP Wednesday...
Sadly, I have no photographs to show you of my WIPs...but I can tell you all about them :)

I have my Basic Socks going. I have the first sock finished and am past the heel and gusset decreases on the second sock. I'm using Sami Merino from Creatively Dyed Yarns in Dark colorway (which, in reality, is lime/neon green). They're not difficult...they've just been languishing because of other WIPs that are a bit more important (in my mind). These socks are for MEMEMEMEME! They're a little big but I usually wear pretty socks with another pair under them so the fact that they're a little big doesn't matter.

I also have Little Man's Giraffe going. It's currently sitting in the closet but it's not on time-out. It's just that there are other projects that are more important. All I have left is to attach the ears, finish the spots and horns, make the hair, do the face, and finish attaching everything (the body is put together). I'm looking at probably 5 more hours of work on it. I just haven't had time. I'm using Cascade 220 superwash in two shades of green (are you seeing a trend?).

Thirdly, I have Mama's Simple Skyp Socks going. I have finished the first sock and have not started the second one. I don't generally have "second sock syndrome" or SSS...just something else is getting in the way right now. I'm using BMFA Socks That Rock (Medium) in the Chickabiddy colorway. It's not a color I would have normally picked for myself...lots of reds, yellows, and oranges. But, I figured that I needed to have something to brighten my day once in awhile.

Fourthly, I have my Traveling Vines Socks. They're kind of on a time-out...mostly because I don't have anyone to give them to once they're done. I started these as a companion to a scarf of the same name...I'm actually envisioning a whole series of this with a scarf, socks, a hat, maybe some fingerless mitts or a shawl. I don't know yet. Oh, I should probably mention that I'm the one doing the designing here. Anyway...the scarf has been made, given away, and the pattern modified. I need to re-knit it with the modifications. I did baby socks to test how the pattern would work and where I'd perhaps need to make adjustments. I have the first one finished and am partway through the cuff of the second one. But, like I said, I don't have anyone to give them to. Little Man is way too big for them...and they're kind of girly. Anyway, they're with leftover Zitron Trekking from my first pair of socks.

Lastly, the one that has been getting all the attention: Little Man's Cobblestone Baby Blanket. I started working on this when I was about five or six months pregnant. Well, Little Man is now a year old and I haven't finished it! I figure I'm about 65% finished. Again, this is a pattern of my own design (borrowed stitch patterns from stitch books and mushed them around a bit and woo!) so I'm anal about keeping track of everything from needle size (US #6) to yarn (Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted) to number of rows in the CO/BO (not telling) to number of pattern repeats per row (don't remember) to number of pattern repeats total (not done yet so I don't know)...I've also got gauge and all of that so that when I finish, I can write the pattern normally, send it out for testing, and there it'll be. But, I want it done by Christmas. I had originally hoped for it to be done by Little Man's birthday but, well, that didn't happen. The math works out that if I do, on average, 5 rows every day, I'll have it done by Christmas. If I do 10 rows every day (on average), I could have it done before Christmas with time for it to be washed and blocked and wrapped properly. We'll see.

So, there you have it. For more WIP Wednesdays (and FO Fridays), go visit Tami's Amis and Other Creations!

Little Man's First Birthday Party

Yesterday we celebrated Little Man's first birthday. His actual birthday isn't until Wednesday but, well, it's kind of hard to have a baby's birthday party in the middle of the week when everyone has to work. So, party yesterday.

We had a house full of people...and most of them were not family. Husband's parents did not attend (and their only excuse is that my father-in-law is having shoulder surgery in a couple weeks and he's in terrible pain...but he's still going to work every day). Husband's sister and her husband did not attend (their reason was that they "had plans"). Whatever. We had the important people here.

Little Man got so much......stuff! Toys, clothes, books. My living room was a disaster area this morning until I put some things away. Some of the toys I don't want in the living room because Little Man has a tendency to share with Puppy and I don't want some of these toys ruined because Puppy got a hold of them. So, there are a bunch that were moved to Little Man's bedroom for the time being.

We started out the day in our Chinese outfit that Art & Mary Rose picked up in San Fancisco (?) last year...long before Little Man could wear it. But he could wear it yesterday. There's actually a hat that goes with it, too, but it was too small. He looked so cute...but he was slippery and he wound up ripping a hole in the pants from crawling around. So, we had to change...

 We put on a "Nerds" (candy) shirt and some pants and went to town opening presents. See the box in the background (with the best-selling car in the world on it)? He got that from Husband's brother & sister-in-law. They live in Washington, D.C. but they sent it our way. He's had more fun with the box...but he's a little too small for the car itself. Maybe by spring he'll be good.

 Obviously, he likes books as I had a hard time getting this Curious George book away from him. I had to put it up on a high shelf so he doesn't destroy it.

See the pile of stuff? Yeah, that was all for him.

I found that Yoda at Target one day and he kept reaching out for it so I decided to buy it and give it to him for his birthday. He likes Yoda. What can I say?








And what's a party without cake?

 When I first handed him his cake, he wasn't quite sure what to do. He kind of messed his fingers in the frosting and kept "clicking" them together...but he wouldn't go near his mouth. He kept looking at me like, "mommy, can I put this in my mouth...is this okay to do?" Finally, he got it.

 Apparently, he liked the frosting a whole lot. It was whipped frosting, not buttercream. I don't like buttercream anyway and have always liked whipped cream frosting.

 See?

 The "family" photo.

Eventually, I fished out some of the cupcake from his butt and gave it to him. He liked that, too, but I think he preferred the frosting...who wouldn't?

 Once the party started to wind down, and after Little Man had a good bath, he started to really play with some of his toys. He liked this book. It's a touchy-feely book about puppies and kitties. I think he was more interested in trying to eat the touchy-feely part than touching it...but whatever, he's even holding the book the correct way.

These were some of the stuffed animals he got. There's a stuffed frog, a stuffed polar bear, Yoda, and Liberty Bear. I think he was going after Yoda.









Overall, it was a fantastic day. I still have leftover cake...and sloppy joes...and little weenies...and a fruit tray...and a veggie tray...and a bunch of food. I'm going to be eating good this week :)

In other random events, I didn't finish Little Man's blanket. I did the math and if I do 5 rows every day, I can have it finished by Christmas. If I do 10 rows every day, I can have it done by Christmas, washed, blocked, and dry. So far, I haven't been doing so well. Some days I get 5 rows done, other days I get 10 rows...sometimes more than that, sometimes none at all. We'll see.

Oh, but that's not even the best part. "Best" is a very loose term...we went up to Madison on Saturday to see my nephew (they discovered he had diabetes and it was outrageously out of control) and do some grocery shopping. We left Puppy out because he's usually okay for a couple of hours in the kitchen by himself. Silly me. I had mopped the back entry linoleum and the hardwood floor in the kitchen. When I mop, Puppy doesn't like the smell...so he attacks the flooring. This wouldn't be an issue but we had a chunk missing in the linoleum from moving some fridges out of the basement. Can you already guess what happened? We came home from Madison and Puppy had damn near destroyed the back entry linoleum. We were going to replace it anyway but we were hoping to wait until next summer...we have to replace it almost immediately. We can't leave it because Puppy will just continue to destroy it. So, sometime this week, we're going to go up to Home Depot to look at flooring and installation and all of that. We're already having the counter done within the next few weeks...might as well get the floor done, too. *sigh*

So, that's my life in a nutshell. I hope things start getting better soon....